Operator Influence on IEC 61000-4-2 ESD Waveforms: A Study and Ferrite-Based Replication Proposal

A key update featured in the upcoming revision of the IEC 61000-4-2 standard in 2025 is the introduction of a new waveform parameter, regulating further the second peak of the electrostatic discharge (ESD) current pulse. In this context, the operator influence on the waveform was investigated and quantified via an uncertainty analysis, concluding on a notable distortion of the waveform and particularly of the new parameter, which affects ESD testing reproducibility. To address this, a novel ferrite-based reproducible solution for replicating the operator influence based on an evaluation ranking methodology for different ferrite types and clamping locations on the grounding cable is presented in this study. The proposed approach is a generator-specific evaluation procedure utilizing weighted metrics ranking that can be beneficial for ESD generator manufacturers and testing laboratories. The method can be applied both during calibration to improve consistency with real testing conditions and during automated testing to increase intermethodology and interlaboratory reproducibility.